Travel Essay from Doug Hawley

Seen In Eastern Oregon                                       

Eastern Oregon is defined as east of the Cascade Mountains.  The east/west divide is political and topographical.  The fauna and flora and climate differ as well.

Many years ago, it could have been 2010, I went with a group of nature guides from the Portland Oregon area to an interesting historical site close to the Northeastern Oregon city Baker.  The main attraction in nearby Sumpter was the remains of an odd gold mining operation that operated from 1934-1954.  A dry land dredge created its own stream while running rock through the dredge.  Workers picked gold from the rock that passed through.

As interesting as that was, what caught my attention was a scene at the yard of a Sumpter resident.  A dog on a leash was barking at a deer peacefully munching on edibles in the yard.  The drama looked like it could be a nightly show.  After he had enough of the relentless barking the resident of the house came out to shoo the deer away.  The dog relaxed.

That wasn’t the only example of games animals play.  When we visited the Malheur National Game refuge in Southeastern Oregon we witnessed a coyote stalking a pheasant.  When the coyote got close the pheasant would fly twenty feet way.  We watched the slow motion unsuccessful pursuit for a few minutes, but it looked like the show could go on all day so we moved on to other wonders of nature.  Imagine a slow motion version of Wiley Coyote and the Road Runner.  Beep Beep.

On another occasion we found what appeared to be a flattened road runner.  A coyote didn’t get it, but it may have failed to Dodge a Maverick, Cougar, Impala, or other animal-named automobile.

Going through South Central Oregon just north of Nevada, we have seen herds of antelope (more accurately pronghorns).  They are the fastest land animal in the USA.  They evolved when dire wolves were around so they needed to be a little faster, and the excess speed has survived the demise of dire wolves.

The bittern is a bird that stays safe by standing head tilted up in reeds and is hard to discern from its surroundings.  It is good at hiding but we saw one.

The landscape east of the Cascades is much different.  The trees are different and smaller.  The juniper, sage brush, and horned toads (actually a lizard made famous by Yosemite Sam – I’ve run across a few) won’t be found in Western Oregon.

The differences between East and West are partly from climate differences and extent and timing of volcanic activity.  Western Oregon has a moderate climate with a lot of rain.  Eastern Oregon is arid and much more extreme.  Volcanoes made both Crater Lake National Park and Newberry Crater National Monument, home to East and Paulina Lakes, a frequent summer vacation for my family in the 1950s.  On a much smaller scale, there are the lava tubes and ice caves which were formed by lava vents.  Lava River Cave is over a mile long and open to visitors.  The various ice caves can keep ice for much of the year when the outside temperature can reach 90F.  In earlier times they provided Bend Oregon with ice in the summer.

Eastern Oregon – it’s something else.

Poetry from Mykyta Ryzhykh

spent

<i am the flight>

im flying

air air rrr flash (to)

space (bar)

im immobilized

my hands _wings_feathers_shreds

im letting myself down

sip wind wind breath

dot space

point line curve straight

_/\___▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎_____________

the hospital intensive care unit rumbles

in silence

horse-house

I swallow the horse’s bow-legged apple

house is no use

I run to the other end of the rounded planet and return to a house that does not exist

Newmore

After long debates, the parliament finally approved the state budget presented by the government for the coming year. In a more ideal world there would be a poem instead of this text.

beast

who would dare to hug me:::

stomach digests panther fangs

the tail strangles the neck

sperm burns stubble

a soldier looks out of the

emptiness/purity of the fog

and begs for alms at the breast

wanting to latch all the milk out of the nipple

Shortest steppe poem

I’m no more

No title

I’m a dog and not a wolf

I’m a cat and not a tiger

I’m a worm and not a cobra

I’m a person and not [?]

Poetry from Bhagirath Choudhary

Older South Asian man with graying hair and a serious expression in a gray jacket.

GENDER BOX

A highly celebrated Yogi

An ardent Haj going Maulavi

Keeper of commandments 

A “holy than thou” Christian saint

Together they went to the heaven’s gate

O, keeper of the cosmic records

Open the gate of heaven

Let us in, they said in one voice

The keeper of the gate said

Go back to earth

And bring back your other halves

Only complete person is allowed

We sent you together

And together you shall return

All three were dismayed

What does he mean by the other half ?

They asked him

which other half you are talking about, Sir

The wise gate keeper replied

Where is the woman ? 

Further the keeper of gate added

You three acted as male chauvanists

You lived in the prison of gender

Never came out of gender box

You never respected your other half

You must know that every man has whole genome

Male and female together

So does every woman

O Yogi, you pride yourself

For your self contemplation

Yet you never allowed single meditation

Upon the greatness of feminine divine

You never tried to know

How to turn your blood into “liquid love” 

To feed the liquid love – the milk for the babe

How to have infinite patience

While incubating the eggs or

Waiting upon the child

You never tried to contemplate

Why woman chose her costume ?

With a rucksack in front

To practice the self sacrificing

To offer her back to the wolves

But to keep the love child safe.

O, self claimed pious Maulavi

You kept your woman under the tent

She was not the mother of your children

But a reproductive machine

Who after birth

Handed over the child to you

So you could make a swordsman

For your insatiable greed of empire

building

O, keeper of holy commandments

You made a playboy of yourself

The woman was stripped naked

To boast of a civilized world

For your burning desires of material consumption

You made a advertising Mannequin of the divine feminine

I know you all three are cursing me

But the truth must prevail

For in heaven

Only one dharma has dominion

That is the dharma of truth

Wise ones say thus

There is no religion greater than religion of truth ( सत्यात् नास्ति परो धर्मः)

So please go back to earth 

And only return when you are complete human being

Then, the Yogi implored thus

O, divine self be our Guru

And give us the discerning eye

The wisdom eye (उपनयन) that sees only truth.

The divine gate keeper said thus

You must come out of the gender box

Either you contemplate the feminine divine of your genome

Or be a woman in next birth

So you can be witness to the glory

of feminine divine.

And incorporate the truth in your DNA

Know it well gentlemen,

The gender box is the last gate upon earth

And it equally applies to women as well

And every man and woman must come out of their gender boxes

Before you could reach to the gate of heaven.

And let the truth prevail upon earth.

June 14, 2018

……..

Divine Woman

Evolution lovingly refined a woman

Indeed so much more than a man

Crowning her with deeply loving attitude

And with life sustaining deep ecology of gratitude.

Godly attitudes come to a woman

More naturally than a man

Love, empathy, care and patience

Come to her more easily than beastly violence.

Evolution wrapped her body into a beautiful dress

And gave her a tiara of a living goddess

She is embodiment of divine human passion

Evolution made her mother of human nation.

How a man allows the beast to dominate him ?

Why a man gives in to his animalistic whim ?

Why a man behaves so insane and wild ?

Violating a sister, mother and an innocent girl child.

It is high time that all earth nations of man

Rise above gender injustice and sadistic pain

Man must transcend the beastly male chauvinism

His beast must evolve into divine human organism.

Poetry from Alex S. Johnson

Black and white photo of a middle aged woman with dark hair and a scarf smiling at an older man with glasses and a suit coat.
Photo c/o Leo Cares

Extraordinary Madness, For Patti Smith, friend of William S. Burroughs 

The lunch is always naked—that was Burroughs,

bearing the news steadily and with a wink

at the end of a long fork

There’s a newspaper spoon somewhere in there too,

folded like Guernica’s horses

Snorting acrid verses

Rimbaud spotted somewhere nearby,

having achieved fabulous opera

His rude shithouse scrawls

sanctified

solidified

Rolling forth through Kansas wheat fields

rolling like a family of tumbleweeds roll

rolling under leaden coffins of American sky

where freedom’s torch sizzles and dies

like a wet cigarette

with a shrug

and a sigh

Where are you now my friends

the spirit of revolution involuted with a death spiraling suite of

catastrophes

Iron monuments to all-systems crash regarding me with a hard eye

Triangulating all future forms of my skeleton nailed to the mast of the

Drunken boat

Oh Rimbaud, oh Patti Smith

Burroughs and his fork tines stabbing at the grey matter

digging inside the TV mind, digging out bits of

chewy pink neon.

(This poem previously appeared in The Smol Bear Review)

About Alex S. Johnson

Dubbed “the Baudelaire of our time” by Cyberpunk pioneer and screenwriter of The Crow (1994) John Shirley, Alex S. Johnson has written 15 books, including the canonical New Line Cinema Friday the 13th spinoff novel Jason X: Death Moon. A music journalist with such legendary magazines as Metal Maniacs, Zero Tolerance, Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, Blue Blood and Metal Hammer, Johnson’s stories and poems have appeared in The Surreal Grotesque, Bizarro Central, Cut Up!, New Generation Beats 2024, HWA Poetry Showcase Volume III and Prying Deluxe Edition, alongside the likes of Edward Lee, Joe Hill, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Lucy Taylor, Alessandro Manzetti, Ron Whitehead, Ellyn Maybe, Wrath James White, Eric LaRocca, Poppy Z. Brite, Catfish McDaris and Caitlin R. Kiernan.

The founder of Nocturnicorn Books, Johnson’s most recent publication is White On White: A Literary Tribute to Bauhaus, with a Foreword by transgressive fiction icon Poppy Z. Brite and contributions from The Runaways founder Kari Lee Krome, two time World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Award-winning author Caitlin R. Kiernan, Bram Stoker Award-winning author John Palisano, industrial metal icon Jarboe (ex-Swans), Athan Maroulis from Spahn Ranch and Black Tape For a Blue Girl, Tara Vanflower from Lycia and Type O Negative, and Senor Fluffy: A Cat’s Tale creator Hazel-Ann Lynch. 

Johnson lives in Carmichael, California with his family. 

Poetry from Samira Abdullahi

Young darker-skinned woman with a green coat and headscarf with a school decal on the right breast. She's with some other students and has henna on her left hand.

My future 

I ride in this path with the vehicle of mercy,

With the hope of kissing my destination.

A hope that whispers to me that I shouldn’t peep in to giving up.

And in me, I hugged the faith that promise me  I will make it,

And sighting more effort to grab my goals.

The critics may criticize,

But it can never sink the water out of my basket.

I knew I have many holes but wish to patch them days to come.

Essay from Shahnoza Ochildiyeva

Central Asian teen girl with long dark hair, small earrings, gray jacket, and a light blue collared blouse standing in front of pink and white and purple balloons.

War, books and humanity

“Every coin has two sides, but the truth lies in between.”

War is not only a frequently explored theme in Uzbek literature but also in world literature. Among all the books I have read so far, the ones that have left the deepest mark on my heart, inspired me to reread them, and encouraged me to share their stories with others are those about wartime and the people who lived through it. The characters in these stories are unique—their fates, dreams, and inner struggles are entirely different from those in ordinary narratives. One such novel is The Book Thief, written by renowned Australian author Markus Zusak. The very title of the book immediately captures the reader’s attention. This novel portrays life in Nazi Germany during World War II, depicting the country’s political and social conditions through the story of a young girl named Liesel. 

Before reading this book, I had never truly considered the lives of Germans during the war—people from the very nation that instigated World War II and brought immense tragedy upon the world. However, The Book Thief revealed that Germans, like other nations, also endured hardships. It showed that ordinary people longed for peace, that they lived through extreme difficulties, and that they sometimes had only one bowl of pea soup a week. The exposition of the novel begins with Liesel Meminger, the main protagonist, being sent to live with a foster family by her mother. On the way, her younger brother dies, and at his burial, she steals her first book from the cemetery. The novel’s composition is masterfully structured, with a seamless sequence of events that keeps the reader emotionally engaged until the very end. The plot revolves around Liesel’s life with her foster family, her father Hans Hubermann teaching her to read, her growing passion for books leading her to steal more, and the hidden Jewish man living in their basement. The story ultimately culminates in a heartbreaking conclusion.

What is the turning point of the novel? One could argue that it is the moment when Liesel’s family decides to shelter a Jewish man, risking their own lives in Nazi Germany. And the resolution? Death. At the end of the novel, Liesel loses her entire family and closest friends. Death takes away her unfinished story. The most emotionally intense moment—the climax—occurs during the bombing that kills Liesel’s family. Interestingly, the novel is narrated from the perspective of Death itself, which adds a unique and haunting depth to the story.

So, what does this remarkable novel teach us? The Book Thief is not just about war. It delves into themes of racial and religious discrimination, the devastating consequences of war and conflict, and the profound impact of books on human life. Above all, it teaches us that even in the darkest times, friendship, kindness, and compassion are the greatest courage.

Ochildiyeva Shahnoza

 Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan

Faculty of International Relations and Social Humanities, 1st-year student

Essay from Atabayeva Gulshan

The Problem of Emptiness and Loneliness of the Modern Individual in Chekhov’s Dramaturgy

Philology and History Faculty

Department of Native Language and Literature: Russian Language Specialization, Group 242

Annotation: this article analyzes the theme of existential emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual in Anton Pavlovich Chekhov’s dramaturgy. The author examines Chekhov’s plays such as “Uncle Vanya,” “Three Sisters,” “The Seagull,” and “The Cherry Orchard,” focusing on the characters’ inner emptiness, instability, and alienation from society. The paper draws parallels between literary characters and the philosophical-psychological views of J.-P. Sartre, E. Fromm, and V. Frankl. It demonstrates how Chekhov artistically portrays the loss of human vitality, inner suffering, communicative incapacity, and the search for meaning in modern life.

Аннотация: в данной статье анализируется тема экзистенциальной пустоты и одиночества современного человека в драматургии Антона Павловича Чехова. Автор рассматривает пьесы Чехова, такие как «Дядя Ваня», «Три сестры», «Чайка» и «Вишнёвый сад», сосредотачивая внимание на внутренней пустоте, нестабильности и отчуждённости персонажей от общества. В статье проводится параллель между литературными образами и философско-психологическими взглядами Ж.-П. Сартра, Э. Фромма и В. Франкла. Показано, как Чехов художественно отражает утрату жизненной энергии человека, его внутренние страдания, неспособность к коммуникации и поиск смысла жизни в условиях современной реальности.

Keywords: Chekhov’s dramaturgy, emptiness, loneliness, existentialism, modern individual, psychological crisis, communication, search for meaning.

Ключевые слова: драматургия Чехова, пустота, одиночество, экзистенциализм, современный человек, психологический кризис, коммуникация, поиск смысла.

The transformations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries left a profound imprint on human consciousness. Scientific progress, the crisis of spiritual values, and the contradiction between personal freedom and social restrictions raised new questions in the minds of individuals. It was precisely during this period that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov’s dramaturgy offered a deep expression of the modern individual’s spiritual state, inner emptiness, and loneliness. Through the characters’ inner torments, unfulfilled dreams, instability, and difficulty in establishing human connection, Chekhov reveals the universal problems of his time [1]. In plays such as Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard, the absurdity of life, the lack of purpose, and the inevitability of loneliness become central themes. Chekhov’s characters seem to act, but they fail to achieve real change [2]. Their passivity, inner contradictions, and inaction align closely with modern existentialist philosophy [3].

In Chekhov’s work, the emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual are portrayed not only as personal but also as social problems, analyzed from psychological perspectives as well. Erich Fromm emphasized that loneliness and the lack of meaning in modern society are consequences that emerge alongside the acquisition of freedom [4]. Viktor Frankl showed that when a person loses meaning in life, emptiness and inner suffering arise [5]. Chekhov’s characters face precisely this kind of meaninglessness. This article examines how Chekhov’s dramaturgy portrays the emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual, analyzing the artistic representation and philosophical foundations of these states. Through the inner world of his characters, Chekhov addresses the most pressing issues of our time.

Chekhov’s dramaturgy is distinguished by its psychological depth and subtle artistic expression of socio-philosophical issues. One of the central problems in his plays is the emptiness and loneliness of the modern human being. This theme acquires a unique aesthetic and philosophical layer in plays such as Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard.

The Psychological State of Chekhov’s Characters and the Sense of Emptiness

In Uncle Vanya, the protagonist comes to realize that his life has been wasted. Vanya experiences anger, despair, and deep inner torment upon realizing that he has spent his life serving others, only to be left with nothing. He declares, “I have squandered my life…” – thus transforming loneliness from a mere social condition into a deeply personal tragedy [6].

This state of inner emptiness resembles Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “freedom without ownership.” Sartre argues that although man is free, he is alone in the face of choices [7]. This very loneliness underlies the inaction and internal imbalance of Chekhov’s characters.

The Crisis of Communication and Futile Aspirations

In Three Sisters, the protagonists are dissatisfied with their current lives and dream of returning to Moscow. However, their longing never turns into real action. Their dialogues are filled with melancholy, loneliness, and emptiness. Often, their conversations fail to connect — a clear sign of the communication crisis [8].

Vladimir Kataev notes that behind their dreams, Chekhov presents the individual as a “mysterious being in the world.” According to him, for Chekhov’s characters, “a dream is not an action, but a desire for salvation” [9].

The Seagull and the Tragedy of Non-recognition

In The Seagull, Treplev’s artistic aspirations and attempts to assert himself end in rejection and failure. His life loses meaning, leading to one of Chekhov’s first clear depictions of suicide. Treplev finds no meaning in life and recognizes the absurdity of existence [10].Albert Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, declares life absurd – meaningless but still to be continued. Treplev, however, rejects this struggle and puts an end to his life [11]. This deepens the psychological realism found in Chekhov’s plays.

The Cherry Orchard and Clinging to the Past

In The Cherry Orchard, the characters are unprepared for change. Ranevskaya and her family cannot accept the changing world. They are emotionally attached to the past and live in memories, refusing to confront real problems. This reflects the condition of a modern person detached from reality, searching for meaning but unable to find it [12].

Boris Tomashevsky described the characters of The Cherry Orchard as “a collection of individuals who failed to find their place in life.” According to him, Chekhov explores the problem of modernity not through action, but through inaction [13].

Psychological Foundations: From the Perspective of Fromm and Frankl

According to Erich Fromm, modern man’s loneliness stems from his alienation from society, abandonment of close relationships, and inability to understand himself. Chekhov’s characters experience precisely this: they speak, they dream, but they are unable to connect [14].Viktor Frankl argues that when a person cannot find meaning in life, inner emptiness and psychological stagnation follow. For Chekhov’s characters, this void leads to the loss of vitality — they live, but they do not feel alive [15].

Anton Chekhov’s dramaturgy reveals the inner world of the modern individual, especially their sense of emptiness and loneliness, through unique and unconventional artistic forms. Chekhov’s characters are those who do not act, who dream but do not strive for real change, who attempt to communicate but fail to establish connections. They are alienated from society, unable to find their place in life. These conditions align closely with modern psychological and philosophical perspectives: Sartre’s concept of loneliness within freedom, Fromm’s notion of alienation, and Frankl’s idea of lost meaning are vividly embodied in Chekhov’s literary figures.

In Uncle Vanya, suffering and inertia; in Three Sisters, passive dreams; in The Seagull, lack of recognition and lost meaning; and in The Cherry Orchard, the inability to let go of the past — all serve as artistic representations of spiritual crisis. Chekhov depicts psychological stagnation, hopelessness, and isolation against the backdrop of social upheaval. This makes his dramaturgy intimately connected to the existential concerns of the modern era.

Thus, through Chekhov’s works, we gain a profound understanding of one of the most crucial inner problems of the modern individual — the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. He is not merely a writer of his time, but a modern thinker who compels even 21st-century readers to reflect deeply. Chekhov’s characters suffer not from life itself, but from themselves — from their inaction and alienated emotions. This makes him an eternally relevant author.

References

1.Rayfield, D. (1997). Anton Chekhov: A Life. London: HarperCollins, p. 302.

2.Magarshack, D. (1960). Chekhov the Dramatist. New York: Hill and Wang, pp. 110–115.

3.Etkind, A. (1985). Chekhov’s World: A Study of His Drama. Cambridge University Press, p. 87.

4.Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from Freedom. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, p. 36.

5.Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, p. 106.

6.Chekhov, A.P. Uncle Vanya (1899) // Chekhov, A.P. M.: Nauka, 1980. Vol. 12, p. 104.

7.Sartre, J.-P. Existentialism is a Humanism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007, p. 29.

8.Chekhov, A.P. Three Sisters (1901) // Ibid. Vol. 13, p. 220.

9.Kataev, V. If Only We Could Know: An Interpretation of Chekhov. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2002, p. 88.

10.Chekhov, A.P. The Seagull (1896) // Ibid. Vol. 11, p. 150.

11.Camus, A. The Myth of Sisyphus. New York: Vintage Books, 1955, pp. 11–12.

12.Chekhov, A.P. The Cherry Orchard (1903) // Ibid. Vol. 14, p. 73.

13.Tomashevsky, B. “Thematics and Style in Chekhov’s Plays” // Russian Literature Triquarterly, No. 4, 1972, p. 97.

14.Fromm, E. Escape from Freedom. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1941, p. 121.

15.Frankl, V. Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, 1959, p. 106.